


Small Black Box

by DevBasaa



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Avengers Tower, M/M, Pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Short & Sweet, Stony - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-10
Updated: 2015-05-10
Packaged: 2018-03-29 20:09:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3909028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DevBasaa/pseuds/DevBasaa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set before the events of Age of Ultron.  Steve has been living at Avenger’s Tower.  </p><p>Tony likes to buy gifts, but only for certain people.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Small Black Box

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jedi_Artemis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jedi_Artemis/gifts).



> This is a gift for my very dear friend [jediartemis](http://jediartemis.tumblr.com/). She loves Stony so I gave her what she wanted. =)

Steve made an impressive figure no matter the circumstances. With his broad shoulders, imposing height, fair coloring, he was hard to miss. Whether on the battlefield in his spangly outfit or dressed in a suit for some event Tony might have dragged him to, he caught everyone’s attention. Even wearing a simple t-shirt and track-pants, towering over Tony’s desk in the lab, holding aloft a small, black box, you couldn’t really ignore him.

“Tony, what is this?”

Even when you tried. 

Tony took a moment before he glanced up from his latest design project, a stronger glove structure for the suit, and gave Steve a once-over.

“Captain America. Holding a box. Am I right?”

The furrow between Steve’s eyebrows deepened. “Did you leave this on my dresser?”

Tony moved his design from his tablet into the virtual space before him, which gave him an excuse to turn his back on Steve. He manipulated the blueprint for no good reason, making the image twirl before him. It was stupid for him to be nervous; he was never nervous. “No. Pepper might have, though.”

“Because you told her to?”

Tony tightened his jaw. Steve knew him a little better than he expected. “Perhaps.”

“Dammit, Tony.” 

Tony’s chair jerked around until he faced Steve again. Well, faced Steve’s crotch. He looked up as Steve gestured with the box again, a more forceful thrust this time.

“Did you buy this watch?”

“Does it say Versace?”

Steve paused and popped open the watch box, before answering, “Yes.”

Tony gave a little nod. “Then I bought it.” He turned back around to his still spinning virtual blueprint.

When Steve spoke again, his voice was soft, hushed, “This is an expensive watch.”

“Go big or go home.” Tony added another layer of metal to the design. Why? Because maybe if he looked busy enough Steve would shut up and just accept a gift. Did everything have to be a discussion?

“I can’t accept this.”

Tony dropped his head and closed his eyes a moment. Why did Steve have to make everything complicated? Tony spun back around.

“Why not?”

Steve shrugged. He had the most adorable, perplexed look on his face. Why did that idiot have to be so fucking charming? “I’m already taking up your space and time here and I appreciate that, but a gift—“

 _Excuses_ , Tony thought and rolled his eyes. He made a flippant gesture, cutting Steve off, as he turned back around. “Well anyone who goes out on my arm wears something expensive. That’s the way it works.”

The silence that followed had that deafening quality, like after a loud explosion where the sound of nothing is worse than the noise that preceded. Worse than a flippant comment borne of frustration. Tony didn’t move.

“Goes. Out. On. Your. Arm.”

Tony swallowed hard; his voice cracked a little. “You know, that might have come out wrong.”

“Is that what I’ve been doing?”

Nervous energy shot down Tony’s spine; he sprung to standing and said, “Didn’t you know,” tossing the comment over his shoulder as he gave himself a little distance from the man who can’t be ignored.

“You and Pepper—“

“Ended a long time ago.” Tony interrupted Steve as he faced him again, with the comfort of a table and another desk between them. Was it weird to tell someone they’ve been dating when they had no idea all along? Probably was. “We’re friends. Colleagues.”

Steve spread his hands; the black box still in his right. “And we are?”

“Complicated.”

Finally, Steve smiled and shook his head. “You could say that again.”

Tony grinned. “Very, very complicated. But we look really good together. All the gossip mags say so.”

Steve raised one brow. “I don’t even know what to say to that.”

Tony picked up a pen and played with it, twining it between his fingers as he walked around the lab. “I have an invitation to a black-tie event, a gala, this Friday.”

Steve folded his arms across his chest, still holding the box. “Are you actually asking me on a date this time? So I know it’s a date, too?”

Tony flipped the pen in the air and caught it. “Maybe.”

“And I’m supposed to wear this watch.” Again Steve gestured with the box.

Tony grinned. “All beautiful blonds in my life have diamonds bought by me. So, yes.”

Steve had that amused and yet slightly smug look on his face, the one Tony rather liked. “Beautiful blond,” he repeated. “Did you buy one of these for Thor?”

Tony stopped walking. “That’s not nice.”

Steve grinned. Then with a sigh and a nod, said, “Then I guess it’s a date.” He turned, as he did, on his heel and strode from Tony’s lab, still looking impressive in a t-shirt and track-pants. Even walking away. Sometimes Tony liked that view best.

“And you’ll wear the watch?” Tony called to Steve’s retreating back.

“I’ll wear the watch.” Steve held it aloft again, though didn’t turn around.

“Because that’s the way it’s works,” Tony called again.

“If you say so, Tony.” Tony could hear the smile in Steve’s answer. 

Tony sat down before his design and grinned. So sometimes a discussion needed to be had. Especially with handsome super soldiers that can’t be ignored. Especially ones that looked that good in a tux.

Tony twirled the pen between his fingers again. Damn, he couldn’t wait until Friday.

 

END


End file.
